Above: Nathan Mayfield's design for the roof of the Space Needle in Seattle. He is up against five other designers in a national competition for the honor. Vote for Nathan.
The University of Akron’s Nathan Mayfield entered a public art competition to paint the roof of the Space Needle in Seattle, and out of thousands of entries, he made it through the jury process and is one of the top six finalists. The winner will be chosen through public voting, so he needs some UA support!
This competition will end on Sunday, Oct. 21, and as the Space Needle celebrates the anniversary of the closing day of the 1962 World’s Fair, the winning design will be revealed. Painting will begin as quickly as the weather permits. Besides the honor of being the first ever to have a personal design on the Space Needle, the winner will also receive various prizes all tied to the Space Needle’s 50th Anniversary.
“I have been pursuing a career in public art. Finding this opportunity is all part of the process a public artist has to go through because you have to find different ways to be superior to your competition,” says Mayfield.
A 'modern abstract twist' in design
Mayfield is in his fourth year at UA and is pursuing a degree in Fine Arts, Painting and Drawing. He attended the Art Institute of Pittsburgh for two years and realized he wanted to become a painter and transferred to UA because of its art department, community and staff.
When crafting this design for the Space Needle competition, Mayfield said he looked to his own personal mission as an artist. He wanted to have a design that was appropriate, and sophisticated enough for an icon like the Space Needle.
His design is named, “Retro Graphical,” and the design presents the Space Needle’s original paint colors with a modern, abstract twist.
“Retro Graphical takes quite literally the older Galaxy Gold that it was in the 60's and has merged it with modern times. A powerful and energetic design such as this can open new avenues of conversation, thought, and standards of living,” says Mayfield.
Public voting at http://www.spaceneedle.com/topthis.html is the next step in the competition. The voting is open until Oct. 20, and voting is a simple click of a button!
Good luck Nathan, you have the entire UA community behind you!
Related:
- UA's Myers School of Art
Story by Katey Kimpel
Media contact: Laura M. Massie, 330-972-6476 or massie1@uakron.edu